Logo- Erie Canalway




December 18, 2018
Winter on the Canal, Pittsford by MaryBeth Andersen
Happy Holidays!

As another year comes to a close, we thank you for your support for the incredibly unique and nationally-significant Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Together with our partners and supporters from across the state and nation, we are making significant and steady progress in building a vibrant future for New York's canals and canal communities.
 
Wishing you Happy Holidays 
and looking forward to an exciting New Year along the Erie Canalway!

From all of us at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission, Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board and staff
Great News for the NYS Canalway Water Trail

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today more than $750 million to fund regional priority projects awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) competition. We are pleased to share that two projects that support the NYS Canalway Water Trail received funding through the Mohawk Valley REDC. 
  • Water Trail Signs- A grant from the NYS Canal Corporation will enable us to install signs along the entire Canal System that identify water trail access points, facilities, places of interest, and canal infrastructure. Signs will display a custom logo of the water trail along with directional arrows where necessary. 
  • Kayak Share Program- A second award from the Department of State LWRP to Montgomery County will facilitate collaboration with Fonda, St. Johnsville, Canajoharie, and Amsterdam to create recreational opportunities along the Mohawk River by installing long and short-term kayak storage and an ADA accessible floating launch. The project will also include the development of a Ticket to Paddle Program; Water Trail Ambassadors Program and a Water Trail Signage Plan for Montgomery County, in collaboration with Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. 
In addition to these awards, a number of other projects received funding that will enhance heritage tourism and economic and community vitality  throughout the Canalway Corridor. 
Coming Spring 2019: NYS Canalway Water Trail Guidebook and Navigational Map Set

We are in the final stages of producing a comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook and navigational map set that includes paddler-friendly facilities, access points, and places of interest along the Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca and Oswego Canals. Set to be released in spring 2019, the guidebook and maps will be an indispensable resource for paddlers looking to enjoy the waterway for a few hours, weekend getaways, or for end-to-end journeys. 

We encourage interested paddlers to find information online now to start planning a paddling adventure in 2019 and to join our paddling Facebook group for inside scoops on paddling the canals.
Annual Cardboard Boat Race, Schuylerville
Festival & Event Sponsorship Program

If you have a canal-related event plann ed for 2019, watch for our sponsorship application in January.  Sponsorships of up to $500 will be available for events or festivals that showcase the Canalway Corridor's nationally significant heritage and the tremendous recreational appeal of the waterway and trails.
Water/Ways , Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Coming to Erie Canalway

In partnership with the Museum Association of New York (MANY), six New York museums will examine water as an environmental necessity and an important cultural element as they host Water/Ways, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street program. Museums in the Erie Canalway include: the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, Aurora Masonic Center in Aurora, the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village in Amherst, and the Chapman Museum in Glens Falls.

Water/Ways explores the endless motion of the water cycle, water's effect on landscape, settlement and migration, and its impact on culture, politics and the economy. The traveling exhibition is sponsored in part by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, and the NYS Canal Corporation.

Water/Ways Tour Dates
  • June 29 - August 11, 2019 at Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse
  • August 17 - September 29, 2019 at Aurora Masonic Center, Aurora
  • October 5 - November 17, 2019 at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village, Amherst
  • November 23 - January 5, 2020 at Chapman Museum, Glens Falls
Along the Towpath: News, Events, and Happenings

The canals are closed, but there is still plenty to do in the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Here are a few fun winter activities and some event dates  for your 2019 calendar.

Outdoor Skating
Skaters on the Erie Canal, Syracuse c. 1900
Find timeless fun this winter in the Erie Canalway's biggest cities: Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. In Syracuse, you can skate in the same spot depicted here where the Erie Canal once went through the city.
Students at Grimshaw Elementary School in LaFayette received recognition in the youth category for their canal-themed gingerbread creation.
33rd Annual Gingerbread Gallery
Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse
Open daily from 10am - 5pm through January 6, 2019
(10AM - 2PM on December 24 and 31, CLOSED December 25 and January 1)

75 locations: state parks, historic sites and wildlife areas throughout New York State
January 1, 2019

Canalside, Buffalo
January 27, 2019
 
2019 Save the Date
 
Multiple Locations 
April 26-28, 2019

May 17, 2019
 
Multiple Locations
Spring - Father's Day weekend (June 15-16, 2019) 
Fall - Columbus Day weekend (October 12-14, 2019)
   
Canalside, Buffalo
July 4 - 7, 2019
 
July 7 - 14, 2019
Buffalo to Albany
Registration opens January 3, 2019
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor | PO Box 219, Waterford, NY 12188 | 518-237-7000 |   erie_canal@nps.gov |   www.eriecanalway.org
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